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(WMB4X) Fiction: Unicorn Droppings

“It’s the the third one this week.” said DC Shaw, looking rather green.

DC Shaw, a tall man in his mid thirties with a bald head which the light from the florescent tubes above him bounced off of, had just opened yet another envelope delivered to the Thames Valley West Police Station.

The envelope, just like those before it had contained a childs finger.

“Bout time we caught the bastard who did it then isn’t it.” DCI Murray replied. Taking a sip of his tea. “Have you given forensics a ring? So that they can do their magic.”

Shaw thought that ‘magic’ was a poor choice of words given the circumstance, but replied “Yes Guv. They’ll confirm in the next few hours but it looks to be from the same hand as the previous two.”

“So it’s from a 6 to 7 year old girl.” said Murray reading from his notes. “With distinct nail varnish, ‘Unicorn Droppings style’ it says here.”

“Yes that’s correct.”“Does the envelope give us anything to go on this time around?” asked Murray.“No. Printed label, plain brown jiffy bag. Just as before”“Why send it here though?”“Maybe the guy feels bad, wants to get caught.”

The two men sat in silence pondering this as yet leadless case in DCI Murrays office. The hum of the air conditioner and the muffled voices of those the other side of the door were the only things to be heard. Until Shaw’s mobile phone rang. It was switched to silent but the vibration against the table made a noise that startled both men.

Shaw grabbed it with a bear like hand and clicked the lock button twice to send the call to voice mail. “Sorry about that.” he said. The phone then vibrated again and flashed up a message displaying ’27 voicemails’ on it’s large screen.

“27 voicemails Shaw.” said Murray, leaning back in his chair. “Someone wants to get hold of you.”

“I think it’s probably Katie Gov.”“Want you back does she?”“What do you think?”

Murray knew all about Shaws recent break up. Katie had chosen to do it in the Investigation room in front of the team and accompanied by Shaws daughter Jessica. Katie went mad, throwing things at Shaw accusing him of having affairs with all four of the female officers on the team. She would have spent a few hours in the cells to calm down, had Shaw himself not stepped in and promised to take her home.

Murray felt sorry for Jessica.

“How is Jess?” He asked. “Do you see her much?”“She’s fine. Saw her this weekend. Before I dropped her at camp” Shaw gazed off into middle distance.“Brownies?”“Yeah.”“Let me know if you hear anything from forensics.”“Will do Guv.”

The phone on Shaws messy desk sprung into life three hours after he had left Murrays office.“DC Shaw, Thames Valley CID.”“Steven. It’s Lisa, from Forensics. How you doing?”“Not bad thanks,” Shaw replied lying. “Got anything for me on that finger?”“Yep, as expected it was from the same poor little girl.”

Shaw noted this down after scrabbling around to find a working pen.

“Anything on the envelope?”
“No. Nothing we can use anyway. The whole thing has been wiped.The finger itself was packed meticulously. Almost making sure the finger didn’t get damaged. Bit of a waste if you ask me, I mean with it being chopped off..”

“Nothing of note.” Shaw interrupted. Not caring for Lisa’s opinion.“No aside from confirming that this is from the same hand of the same girl with the same nail varnish.”“OK. Thanks.” Shaw said. Placing the phone down and placing his bald head in his sizeable hands. Letting out a deep sigh, he rose from his chair and walked to DCI Murrays door and knocked.“Come.” said Murray.“Guv that was forensics.”“Yes. Anything?”“‘fraid not. The finger was from the same girl though.”“Not much to go on then is there.”“No guv.”“Well I think the best you can do is go and get some rest. As my old governor used to say to me. ‘A tired mind never solved any crime’”

Shaw took the night bus home. He was still sharing a car with Katie and he’d dropped it off Monday morning. It was raining but he didn’t really mind as the bus stopped right outside his house. He fumbled for his keys that were caught in the lining of his jacket.

He opened the door to his silent house.

Silence where there once was laughter. Jess’s paintings still adorned the walls, bags of clothing Katie’s and Jess’ still lay strewn in the hallway. It had been less than two weeks since Shaw had suffered the humiliation of the “Investigation Room” He wondered How could she break up with him like that, so publicly. She had no right. Bitch was wrong anyway. In front of Jess too. Poor Jess.

Shaw went to pour himself a drink. There were no clean glasses. So he took a swig from the bottle.

Katie would learn that she shouldn’t have crossed him, Shaw thought.

He remembered the last conversation he had with Jess. She was packing her bags to go to brownies. She had told him about the big trip her and her mother were going on when she got back from camp. She said they were going on a plane, to live far far away to with Uncle Barry in “Down Under” and search for Unicorns just like the ones who made the nail varnish Uncle Barry had given her.

She said. “Do you like my nails Daddy?”

This piece was a proud part of the Absolute Write Blog Chain for November, where the theme was Unicorn Droppings. The other participants are below.